A week ago, optimism that captain Shane Doan would stick with the Coyotes could have vanished.

That's when potential buyer Greg Jamison told General Manager Don Maloney he wasn't going to be able to finalize a lease agreement with the city of Glendale and complete his bid to purchase the team before a possible NHL lockout would start at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

With Doan adamant that he would sign a contract somewhere before the current collective bargaining agreement expired and determined to pick a team with an owner, the likelihood of keeping Doan seemed bleak.

"I think we were able to show him this is the place for him and the best place for him," Maloney said.

Regular conversations with Jamison likely also helped and even though he has yet to acquire the team, Doan agreeing to a four-year, $21.2 million contract with the Coyotes on Friday suggests an ending to the three-year ownership saga could be close.